Amphetamines stimulate the central nervous system (CNS) and have been used medicinally to treat various disorders including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obesity, and narcolepsy. In children with ADHD, potent CNS stimulants have been used for several decades as a drug treatment given either alone or as an adjunct to behavioral therapy. While methylphenidate (Ritalin®) has been the most frequently prescribed stimulant, the prototype of the class, amphetamine (alpha-methyl phenethylamine) has been used all along and increasingly so in recent years. (Bradley C, Bowen M, “Amphetamine (benzedrine) therapy of children's behavior disorders.” American Journal of Orthopsychiatry 11: 92-103 (1941).
Because of their stimulating effects, amphetamines, including amphetamine derivatives and analogs, are subject to abuse. A user can become dependent over time on these drugs and their physical and psychological effects, even when the drugs are used for legitimate therapeutic purposes. Legitimate amphetamine users that develop drug tolerances are especially susceptible to becoming accidental addicts as they increase dosing in order to counteract their increased tolerance of the prescribed drugs. Additionally, it is possible for individuals to inappropriately self-administer higher than prescribed quantities of the drug or to alter either the product or the route of administration (e.g., inhalation (snorting), injection, and smoking), potentially resulting in immediate release of the active drug in quantities larger than prescribed. When taken at higher than prescribed doses, amphetamines can cause temporary feelings of exhilaration and increased energy and mental alertness.
Recent developments in the abuse of prescription drug products increasingly raise concerns about the abuse of amphetamine prescribed for ADHD. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), estimates that in 2003, 1.2 million Americans aged 12 and older abused stimulants, such as amphetamines. The high abuse potential has earned amphetamines Schedule II status according to the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Schedule II classification is reserved for those drugs that have accepted medical use but have the highest potential for abuse.
Sustained release formulations of amphetamines, e.g., Adderall XR®, have an increased abuse liability relative to the single dose tablets because each tablet of the sustained release formulation contains a higher concentration of amphetamine. It may be possible for substance abusers to obtain a high dose of amphetamine with rapid onset by crushing the tablets into powder and snorting it or by dissolving the powder in water and injecting it. Sustained release formulations may also provide uneven release.
Additional information about amphetamines and amphetamine abuse can be found in U.S. Publication No. 2005/0054561 (U.S. Ser. No. 10/858,526).
The need exists for additional amphetamine compounds, especially abuse resistant amphetamine compounds. Further, the need exists for amphetamine pharmaceutical compositions that provide sustained release and sustained therapeutic effect.